Imaging deep into bodies using high energy radiation is ubiquitous in planetary exploration, oil well investigation, baggage scanning, border security, and many other applications. Gamma rays are highly penetrative, but irradiate and activate the target materials. While X-rays offer a safer alternative, conventional designs typically suffer from low signal-to-noise detection and require the detector and emitter to be located on opposite sides of the target being imaged and comprehensively rotated around the object to be imaged. This two-sided geometry is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in many applications such as when imaging into a large, extended volume or through a highly absorptive/scattering medium. Although back-scattering of X-rays can be used for one-sided imaging where the X-ray source and detector are located on the same side of the medium with a significantly reduced signal-to-noise solution, current backscatter imaging schemes tend to be large, mechanically complex, and require assumptions on the medium to be imaged such as low X-ray absorptivity. Small volume requirements on spacecraft or within oil shafts prevent use of the typical 2D sensor grid required for high-fidelity X-ray imaging. Extreme temperatures and pressures such as within an oil shaft, at the bottom of the ocean, or on planets like Venus require extensive protective casings that further reduce available volume and force X-rays to first traverse the casing before reaching the target medium.